“ART’s support enabled us to get started and be where we are today. It’s good to know that lenders like ART exist.”
The business
W H Scott & Son was a well-known Funeral Directors in Birmingham, trading for almost 150 years, prior to its sale in 2014. It was a family run business, spanning over five generations of the Scott family. Oliver had left the business 10 years earlier, keen to try his hand at something different having worked there for 25 years, but following the sale it wasn’t long before he felt that the market was missing the family name and values that had been around for so long, so he decided to set up Oliver Scott & Family.
“I like working with people,” he says, “and I find organising funerals a satisfying role. Getting it right is so important to people. You read some awful stories in the tabloids about rip-off funeral directors and I want to ensure that there’s the opportunity for people to access a high quality service at a reasonable price. Family values are important to us.”
The loan
With what he describes as ‘a fairly cool credit history personally’ and the banks having no appetite to support start-up companies, Oliver turned to the Government-backed Start Up Loan Company, which provided a small loan then recommended he approach ART Business Loans (ART).
ART’s additional loan enabled Oliver to take on rented premises, carry out necessary alterations and open up.
“ART was excellent,” he says. “First of all, Roz came out to see us and had a chat to get to know us and understand the business. She worked well with us and was very helpful at every stage.”
The loan was supported by The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme.
The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
The outcome
Oliver Scott & Family opened its doors in March 2018 and is growing steadily. “ART’s support enabled us to get started and be where we are today,” says Oliver. “It’s good to know that lenders like ART exist.”